Domestic Love
by Buckrocks
Summary: RJ meets a female raccoon named Riley. It's 'love at first sight', but there is one problem which RJ can't get over...Riley's a pet! DISCONTINUED
1. Chapter 1

Cars drove back and forth on the highway. A certain red Dodge Ram truck turned down a right turn where a large green sign read "Suburbia". Driving for another two minutes, the truck turned into a driveway in front of a newly repaired house that was beautifully settled next to a hedge. A man got out of his truck and, telling his wife and son to wait a moment, he went up to another man that stood next to the front door and asked,

"So this is the place?"

"That's what they tell me, Jason."

"Good."

"There's just one thing.."

"What? Is it the plumbing in this house, Jim? It better not be!"

"No sir. I-It's the animals over the hedge. They are...well...brave when it comes to fighting humans."

"Ah! They won't be fighting anybody! My family's here just to 'make peace'!"

The two men laughed for a few moments, then Jim stopped. "Seriously though, they are very smart!" Without another word, the two men exchanged handshakes and money. Jason walked back to the truck. "Ally! We're keeping the place! It's ours!" His wife, Alison, got out of the truck and immediately went inside to inspect the house. Jason poked his head into the vehicle. "Allen! Get outta there! This place is ours now!" He did a crazy whoop of excitement and ran into the house to join his wife.

Allen, a fifteen year old boy, slumped out of the truck. He reluctantly turned off the Nintendo DS in his hand and opened the truck's back door a little wider. "Come on Riley." A female raccoon jumped from the truck and shook herself. Her collar jingled in the clear daytime air. Allen got his backpack out of the back of the truck and dragged himself up the front steps of his new home. Riley watched him curiously.

_Why's he so disappointed? _she thought,_ At least he SHOULD think on the positive side._


	2. Chapter 2

Hammy had, at one moment,been sleeping next to RJ, and now he was going mad!

"The humans have returned! I DECLARE WAR!"

The crazed squirrel struck an evil genius pose and laughed manically. Everyone stared at him.

Vern shook his head. "Don't tell me that you've been having coffee before bedtime AGAIN." Hammy gave him a look and replied, "Yes, but it was decaf." RJ shook himself and said, "Well, why don't we go check 'em out?" Heather and Hammy volunteered, and off they went.

...

Riley waited outside of Allen's bedroom. "Come on, kid! You gotta get up! You'll miss the bus!" She paced across the hallway until Alison opened the door. Riley shot straight into Allen's bed and nosed her way under the covers, pulling them off. Allen curled up tighter. Frustrated, Riley climbed the bookshelf at the end of his bed, muttering to herself. "Well, it doesn't take much to get 'im outta bed. Just one big cannon_BALL_!" At that moment, she jumped and landed in the center of his chest. Allen shot up in bed.

"RILEY!"

...

RJ, Hammy, and Heather crept alongside the hedge, a safety zone that enabled them to bolt straight to the other side without getting chased two-hundred meters or so by angry humans. The night before, a deer family had been there, curiously poking around. Now there were only deer droppings, which Hammy said 'looked like rabbit poop'. RJ and Heather only rolled their eyes in response.

As a man walked out of the house, Heather cocked her head.

"I thought no one lived there." she muttered.

RJ was equally puzzled. "Yeah, I thought we chased them off for good."

Hammy was chasing a ladybug.**(Author's Note: I was actually bitten by a ladybug, you know. And that's no lie!)**

The three mammals snuck up to the house and hid behind a garbage can, watching the man put a football gear bag in the truck. "Allen! Come on, buddy! We'll be late for football practice!" he yelled. A boy stumbled out the door, an IPhone in his hand. His father smiled. "Chest bump?"

"No thanks, Dad. Riley jumped me this morning. I think my whole chest is gonna turn black 'n' blue."

The whole time he spoke, the boy stared at his IPhone, texting or playing some game.

"Why did we move here anyway? It sucks. I liked it better in Ohio-" the boy slid into the truck, still complaining while texting. His father stared blankly ahead for two seconds, then slid into the vehicle grinning.

"Well, a new school, new friends, right? Hey! Let's check what's on the radio-"

The truck drove out onto the road, BeeGees' "Stayin' Alive" thundering out the open window. RJ could've sworn that he'd seen the boy roll his eyes.

"See ya later, Allen! Bye!"

RJ looked up and saw a female raccoon hanging out a second floor window, waving to the vanishing truck. A cow-hide collar hung around her neck.

For three seconds, RJ was speechless.

Then it occurred to him: the raccoon up in the window was _a pet_.

Out of earshot of Heather or Hammy, he sighed.

"Why, of all things, is she a _pet?_"

...

**Sorry for not updating quickly! I'll try to get Chapter 3 up soon. :D**


End file.
